Materials mixer



July 10, 1962 R. E. swARTHoUT MATERIALS MIXER 2 Sheets-Sheet i FiledJan. 16, 1961 INVENTOR Ens-SELL: En/oeps w/en/az/f MM f mf vdi.:

United Statesv Patent O 3,043,571 MATERIALS MIXER Rassele EdwardsSwarthout, Downey, Calif., asslgnor to Challenge-Cook Bros.,Incorporated, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California FiledJan. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 82,796 1 Claim. (Cl. 259-152) This inventionrelates to a device for mixing material-s. Although it is adaptable foruse in mixing dry materials, it is particularly adaptable for mixingmaterials in iluid form, and especially slurry materials such as wetplaster.

In modern building construction, many of the materials which are appliedin wet form, such as plaster, are mechanically mixed, in substitutionfor the old, laborious, and ytime-consuming handmixing operation, andmany types of mechanical mixers have been utilized. Most of thesemechanical mixers have successfully attained desired time-saving, butmany of them are deficient in that a thorough and completemix is, notalways accomplished.

Although in the use of some of the rougher sl-urry materials, full andcomplete mixing is not necessarily irnportant, in other operations, andparticularly in plastering, thorough and complete mixing of the wetplaster is essential if a satisfactory job of plastering is to beobtained.

The device of the present invention readily attains such a completemechanical mix lby providing, by simple mechanical means, extensivemultiple flow movements of the materials being mixed in a variety ofcorrelated directions.

It therefore appears that it is an object of the invention to provide amechanical mixer for slurry materials and lfor liquids which readilyaccomplishes a thorough, complete mix in` a relatively rshort period ofoperation compared with the, period of operation of other mixers.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a mechanical mixerwhich has a minimal number of working parts which permit flow movementsof the materials being mixed in a substantial variety of correlateddirections.

'It is still another object of the invention to provide such a mixerwhich is `simple and inexpensive to construct, assemble, maintain andoperate.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of thedevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of a mechanical mixer, partly insection, utilizing the device of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of the helical mixer blade assembly ofthe device of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

As illustrated in the drawings, a power unit is mounted on a carriage11, preferably at one end of said carriage 11, and may be enclosed in ahousing 12. Said carriage 11 has a bed frame member 13, which may besuitably mounted on a wheel assembly 14. Said carriage 11 has an endframe member 15 supported on and extending upwardly from said bed `framemember 13. Said end frame member 15 may also extend downwardly from bedframe member 13 to form a suitable leg support 16. Said carriage 11 alsohas a second frame member 17 supported on and extending upwardly fromsaid Mice bed frame member 13, intermediate the ends of said bed framemember i3 and externally of said housing 12. A draw bar or` shaft 19 mayalso be mounted on bed frame member 13.

A journal box 20 is mounted on said frame member 17, and a horizontallydisposed power drive shaft 21, operatively connected to said power unit1i), is supported in said journal box 2l). One end 22 of said driveshaft 21 protrudes beyond said journal box 20.

A mixer bin 30 has a body member 31, and end members 32 and 33. Bodymember 31 has an opening or port 34 -for the receipt and discharge ofthe materials to be position, and a retaining member 37 may be mountedon end frame member 15, and disposed so as to abut on end 33 of bin 30so as to releasably retain bin 30 in any desired rotated position.

A rotating shaft 40, having ends 41 and 42, is disposed horizontally andaxially in said bin 30 between said end members 32 and 33. Said shaft 40is operatively connected at end 41 thereof to the protruding end 22 ofdrive shaft 21 by any suitable means, as by a shaft coupling 43. Theother end 42 is connected to a spur shaft 44 lby any suitable means, asby a second shaft coupling 45, and said spur shaft 44 is supported injournal box 35.

A first helical blade 50, yhaving a right-hand Ihelical curvaturesimilar to a right-hand thread, is disposed circumferentially aboutshaft 40, adjacent end 41 thereof, is spaced apart from said shaft 49,and is supported on shaft 40 by rods 51, 52, 53 and 54. One end 55 ofsaid blade 50 is disposed adjacent to end 32 of drum 30, and the otherend 56 of blade 5l) is disposed beyond the plane of the longitudinalcenter o-f shaft A0.

A second helical blade 60, having `a left-hand helical curvature similarto a left-hand thread, is also disposed circumferentially about shaft40, adjacent end 41 thereof, and spaced apart therefrom. Blade 60 issupported on shaft 40 by rods 51 and 53 and by a rod 74. Blade 60 has adiameter smaller than the Idiameter of blade 50, is disposed within thecurvature of said blade 50, is spaced apart therefrom, and is mounted onrods 5l and 53 internally of blade 56. One end 61 of blade 60 isdisposed adjacent to end 32 of Ibin 30, and the other end 62 of blade 60is disposed beyond the plane of the longitudinal center of shaft 40,preferably in approximate alignment with end 56 of blade 50.

A third helical blade 70, having a left-hand helical curvature similarto a left-hand thread, and having a diameter substantially the same asthe diameter of blade 50, is disposed circumferentially about shaft 40,adjacent end 42 thereof, is spaced apart from said shaft 40, and issupported on shaft 40 by rods 71, 72, 73 and 74. Blade 70 is mounted onrod 74 externally of blade 60. One end of said blade 70 is disposedadjacent to end '33 of bin 30, and the other end 76 of blade 70 isdisposed beyond the plane of the longitudinal center of shaft 40.

A fourth helical blade 80, having a right-hand helical curvature similarto a right-hand thread, is also disposed circumferentially about shaft40, adjacent end 42 thereof, and spaced apart therefrom. Blade 80 issupported on shaft 40' yby rods 71, 73 and 54. Blade 80 has a diametersubstantially the same as the diameter of blade 60, and consequentlysmaller than the diameter of blade 70, is disposed within the curvatureof said blade 70, is spaced apart therefrom, and is mounted on rods 71and 73 internally of blade 70, and on rod 54 internally of blade 50. fOne end 8l of said bladeS is disposed adjacent to end 33 of bin 3tlg andthe other end 82 of blade 80 is disposed beyond the plane of thelongitudinal center of shaft 40,'preferably in approximate alignmentwith end 76 of blade 701.

In operation, materials to be mixed are introduced into bin 30 throughopening 34. Shaft 40 is then rotated, causing blades 50, 60, 70 and 80to rotate.

Because of the unique arrangement of the Various helical cunvatures ofblades 50, 60, 70 and 80- relative to each other, and particularlybecause, instead of the normal one or two helical blades extendingthroughout the entire longitudinal length of bin 30' found in othermixers, the device of the present invention utilizes two sets of blades,neither of which extends substantially beyond the plane of thehorizontal center of shaft 40, a unique mixing action thereupon takesplace in bin 3G. Right- .hand helical curvature blade Sti will cause amix and flow of the materialstoward the center of bin 30, both at thetop and bottom of bin 30, Where they will be met by ows in the oppositedirection caused by left-hand helical curvature blade 70. The meetingand merging of these flows Will cause additional mixing not otherwiseattained. The ow of materials in the combined mixes will then bedirected toward the axial center o-f bin 30, where the flow Will beseparated, left-hand helical curvature blade 60 causing a mix andflow-of materials axially toward end 32 of bin 30 (where the m-aterialsWill join the flows in the outer opposite direction caused by rotationof right-hand helical curvature blade 50), with right-hand helicalcurvature blade 8()y causing a mix and iiow of materials axially towardend 33 of bin 30 (where the materials will join the flow in the outeropposite direction caused by the rotation of left-hand helical curvatureblade This multiple mix and ilow of materials in bin 30, and especiallythe unique mix and flow movement in the centervarea of bin 30, providesa vastly superior mixing atcion not otherwise attainable.

When the materials have lbeen thoroughly mixed to the satisfaction ofthe operator of the device, they may be discharged f-romfbin 30 bygrasping handle 35 and rotating bin 30 until opening 34 is in dischargeposition.

Although the invention has Kbeen herein shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed hereinbut is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace anyand all equivalent structures and devices.

Having described my invention, and What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

A materials mixer which comprises: a mixer bin having a first end and asecond end; a rotatable shaft disposed axially in said bin between saidends; a first helical blade having a right-hand curvature, disposedcircumferentially about and supported by said shaft in spacedrelationship thereto, said blade having a first free curving end thereofdisposed closely adjacent to the first end of said bin, and having asecond free end thereof disposed at a point beyond the plane of thelongitudinal center of said shaft; a second helical blade having aleft-hand curvature, disposed circumferentially about and supported bysaid shaft inspaced relationship thereto, said second blade beingmounted Within the curvature of said first blade, said second bladehaving a iirst free curving end thereof disposed closely adjacent to thefirst end of said bin and overlying the rst end of said rst blade inspaced relationship thereto, and having a second free end disposed at apoint beyond the plane of the longitudinal center of said shaft; a thirdhelical blade having a left-hand curvature, disposed circumferentiallyabout and supported by said shaft in spaced relationship thereto, saidthird blade having a first free curving end thereof disposed closelyadjacent to the second end of said bin, and having a second free endthereof disposed at a point beyond the plane of thetlongitudinal centerof said shaft, said second end overlapping the second end of said lirstblade in spaced relationship thereto; and a fourth helical blade havinga right-hand curvature, disposed circumferentially about andtsupportedby said shaft in spaced relationship thereto, said fourth blade beingmounted Within the curvature of said third blade, said fourth bladehaving a first free curving end thereof disposed closely adjacent to thesecond end of said bin and overlying the rst en'd of said third blade inspaced relationship thereto, and having a second free end disposed at apoint beyond the plane of the longitudinal center of said shaft, saidsecond end overlapping the second end of said second blade in spacedrelationship thereto.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,769,309 Rice et al. July l, 1930

